So I just got a 1995 ram 2500hd. 5.9l I have been looking for a project and found it.. this ram was bought by a nursery at 53 miles in 95 and now has 100,970.. I got it from the only owner but it was a nursery truck. it's ugly beet and dirty.. It has a dana 70 rear end witch I thought only came in the diesel and v10 rams. I was told it was ordered from dodge that way for the nursery..?? any1 ever heard of that.? It had no shocks in the rear..!! why. I dont no.. I also got it with the bed resting on the frame with no bolts holding it on and the 5.9 in the bed. I'm betting it had a flatbed on it for the nursery. the seller said he had the bed off to put a better one on and changed his mined and sold it.. ya right... and he said the engine was out to be put in a ext. cab that had a 318.. and wen he quit the job and moved 4 hours away he had a change of plans,witch he did move, but I'm skeptical cause of the pieces I got it in..
I was told that it needs a new intake gasket but I'm betting it needs more than that.. for the low miles it is caked in grease..!!.. any1 know what size bolts hold the bed on.? or were I can get the bolts to bolt the engine to the tranny..?? lol.. to be honnest I would have passed on this but I got it for trade.. a miller 180 welder, stihl ts360 demo saw and a little hvlp turbine finisher, painter. to be exact.. he was askin $700 for the truck or $1000 with the engine.. I think I got a deal, He thinks he got a deal. .. so what do u think and were would u start.. I wanna lift it and beet the snot out of it but I have to make it a nice ride first... all options to

 

download the service manuals they are on this site somewhere. that will at least give you a starting/reference point.

if the truck is all there then I think you got a pretty good deal.
you can find parts on your local craiglist and junkyard.

 

Its all there except for the little things like the engine to tranny bolts, bed bolts, a/c pump but the a/c radiator is there. and no starter or batt.
and if I cant fix it...
I'm gonna put the 360 in my 1998 Grand Cherokee 4.0

 

I'd just go the bone yard with your tool box and take the bolts you need. Never had one charge me for bolts.

 

not if they fall into your tool box! lol

 

The guy at the local pull a part told me if it fit in my pocket I didn't have to pay. Big mistake lol. I've got some big pockets.

 

My local pull a part is the same way.

 

thanks guys for your info.. So I got the engine ripped down to a short-block. the heads and valves are fine but I haven't pressure checked em yet.. the #8 cylinder had a nice rim at the top but all the others were fine..??? stuck ring maybe..?? I can still see the factory cross hatching in the cylinders.. .. but holy-molly the pistons sit down in there a ways at t.d.c... dose anybody no what compression ratio a 1995 5.9 gas. is.?? I heard It was something like 8.9 but read somewhere It was higher like 9.1 because of the year and they lowered it later.. since I want to put new slugs in it anyways I was thinking of putting forged pistons in it and raise compression to 10.5.. will the stock cam work with it that high.. what all am I looking at to raise the comp. a little.. I will pull the bottom end apart tomorrow and see were I lie on that end.. If it needs a crank I'm getting a forged 1 and make it a 408 with a 9.5 or 11.5 comp. ratio. but if not I would like to keep it stock and just replace the pistons to raise comp. a little.. will the bottom hold up to that..?? any suggestions are much appreciated..

 

The bottom end of these motors are very stout. If I were to start putting high compression forged parts in mine that baby stock cam would be the first thing to go. I believe the compression ratio is somewhere 8.5:1 or so. It's pretty low. Ive read it's not good to much more than 9.5:1 for pump gas with iron heads. Seen a few with 10.5:1 though although that seems a little steep and would most definitely require premium.

 

And with a little research I found out the guy I got this from Lied his butoxx off. its a 2500LD not HD. it has a Chrysler 9 1/4 rear and 44 front with a factory tube-truss brace. not the 60's I was expecting nor a 70 but they do have 8 lug rims and the axle numbers cross to a 2500LD. It has 3 1/4 blocks in the rear and huge lief packs. it sits up there.!. the fronts level now but it has the engine out. when I put it back in it should drop a few inches so I may get some spacers to level it. and I'm going with a cheep body lift. any suggestions.? cheap is the key word.. lol.. I have some engine work to do. everything looks good inside other than a ream at the top of the rear right 2 cilinders (#8 and the next 1 up in line.). so I want to go .030 over and make it a 365.. I would like to put in flat top pistons and raise comp. to 9.7 - 10.5 .. any suggestions on what else I may need other than a cam. will my computer run it with more compression. 1995 is obd1 .. and any suggestions on pistons.? .. thanks again guys..
Christopher S.